FLORA FAUNA

5,060 articles

X-ray snapshot of butterfly wings reveals underlying physics of color
Jun 13, 2016 (SPX)
A team of physicists that visualized the internal nanostructure of an intact butterfly wing has discovered two physical attributes that make those structures so...
Sea snakes have extra sense for water living
Jun 10, 2016 (SPX)
The move from life on land to life in the sea has led to the evolution of a new sense for sea snakes, a University of Adelaide-led study suggests. The internati...
Camouflage influences life-and-death decisions that animals make
Jun 10, 2016 (SPX)
Nesting birds time their escape from an approaching predator depending on how well camouflaged their eggs and their own bodies are, researchers from the Univers...
Video hints Japan abetting illegal ivory trade: conservationists
Jun 09, 2016 (AFP)
Conservation activists on Thursday showed undercover video they say suggests that a "huge loophole" in Japanese law enforcement is hindering efforts to rein in ...
Monogamous hermaphrodite fish switch gender 20 times a day
Jun 09, 2016 (UPI)
Chalk bass are more committed to their spouse than their gender. A new study shows the monogamous hermaphrodite fish switch genders up to 20 times a day. The se...
Indonesia plans tougher punishments for poachers
Jun 08, 2016 (AFP)
Indonesia plans to quadruple maximum jail terms for animal poachers and traffickers in a major overhaul of wildlife crime laws, but environmentalists expressed ...
Scientists confirm second layer of information in DNA
Jun 08, 2016 (UPI)
There are two layers of code in DNA strands, new research suggests. The first and most-studied layer is that which dictates the anatomical decisions that make u...
Myanmar eyes closure of wildlife trade hub on Chinese border
Jun 07, 2016 (AFP)
Myanmar authorities plan to shut down a notorious border town where exotic animal parts are sold openly, an official said Tuesday, as Southeast Asia struggles t...
Hairy future for Australia's beloved koala
Jun 06, 2016 (AFP)
A sweet, sickly smell filled the air as Sherwood Robyn, a 12-year-old koala, was brought into a small examination room at Australia's first hospital for the fur...
Genetic switch that turned moths black also colors butterflies
Jun 06, 2016 (SPX)
The same gene that enables tropical butterflies to mimic each other's bright and colourful patterning also caused British moths to turn black amid the grime of ...
Evolution painted onto butterfly wings
Jun 03, 2016 (SPX)
Using a reverse paint-by-numbers approach, scientists have located another gene that controls the brilliant patterning of Heliconius butterfly wings. Led by for...
US announces near-total ban on African elephant ivory trade
Jun 02, 2016 (AFP)
The US authorities announced a near-total ban on the trade of African elephant ivory on Thursday, finalizing a years-long push to protect the endangered animals...
Chinese panda gives birth in Belgium
Jun 02, 2016 (AFP)
A giant panda on loan to Belgium from China has given birth to a cub, a rare event for the endangered species, the Pairi Daiza zoo said Thursday. The zoo and th...
Fiddler crabs use morse code to attract mate
Jun 01, 2016 (SPX)
The vibrations and pulses that male fiddler crabs produce when they are trying to lure females into their burrows to mate are surprisingly informative. These si...
Elephants in Tanzania reserve could be wiped out by 2022
Jun 01, 2016 (AFP)
Elephants in Tanzania's sprawling Selous Game Reserve could be wiped out within six years if poaching continues at current levels, the World Wildlife Fund warne...
Is aging inevitable? Not necessarily for sea urchins
May 27, 2016 (SPX)
Sea urchins are remarkable organisms. They can quickly regrow damaged spines and feet. Some species also live to extraordinary old ages and - even more remarkab...
Killer hippos spread fear among fishermen in Senegal rivers
May 27, 2016 (AFP)
Lying in hospital with bloodied bandages over the deep gashes in his legs, Senegalese fisherman Ali Fall recalls the moment a hippopotamus tried to kill him as ...
A 100-million-year partnership on the brink of extinction
May 26, 2016 (SPX)
A relationship that has lasted for 100 million years is at serious risk of ending, due to the effects of environmental and climate change. A species of spiny cr...
Researchers find that Earth may be home to 1 trillion species
May 25, 2016 (SPX)
Earth could contain nearly 1 trillion species, with only one-thousandth of 1 percent now identified, according to the results of a new study. The estimate, base...
Researchers liken novel host-parasite relationship to Russian roulette
May 25, 2016 (UPI)
New research suggests the generalist parasite Parvilucifera sinerae is forced to rely on old-fashioned luck when choosing a proper host. The parasite is attract...
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